Professional Sports and the Law has named WilmerHale to its list of Top Twenty Law Firms who work with professional sports teams. The online magazine chose firms based on their work with teams across four sports leagues: Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the National Hockey League.

Sports law professors and the publication's readers helped select the top twenty firms, choosing based on “experience in the field and passion for the work,” according to the report. WilmerHale has represented teams across the world of sports, including in the NFL and the NBA, and has handled ethics and disciplinary inquiries as well as Department of Justice antitrust investigations. Additionally, WilmerHale has dealt with league governance issues, franchise acquisitions and litigation in the sports arena.

In particular, Partner David Donovan has an extensive background with professional sports teams. He originally came to the firm in 1985, but left for the Washington Redskins in 2005 to serve as general counsel. He spent six years with the NFL football team, three of which included the role of chief operating officer, before coming back to WilmerHale in 2011.